When we look from Turkey, we see the Republic of Palau as a country on the other side of the world, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a country of people who live happily in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Neither the pessimistic life of the Middle East nor the wild capitalism of America has no place in the daily life of these people. The people living in Palau-the fourth smallest country in the world in terms of population- preferably expect to listen to some music and sip imported beers with their friends after a slow day.
In 2015, when I traveled from Turkey to the other side of the world as a diving instructor, I only imagined an island where palm trees adorned the white beaches and sharks guarded the shores, but in the first hours after I got off the plane, I realized that this was also a remote island with no connection to the world, no television, weekly newspapers and very difficult access to the internet.
If you google the Republic of Palau, you need to get a little closer to the west of the Pacific Ocean. The country consists of 340 islands and cays in total, and only 16 islands have communities that we can consider as settlements. The largest island is Koror, where the airport is located. I said the biggest but if I want to give you an example to visualize the distances – the speed limit by car in Koror is 40km. The apartment where I live and the dive center where I work are at two different corners of Koror and it takes approximately 7-9 minutes to get this distance if you stick to the speed limits. Although Koror is the busiest island, the capital is another island called Melekeok. The only feature of Melekeok’s island is the presidential palace. I say palace because our president, who travels around with his flowery shirts and slippers, has built a tiny palace for himself.
The history of Palau or Belau, as it was formerly called, is not a history that we are very familiar with. According to estimates, it is a community consisting of people from neighboring countries, that is, Endonesia, New Guinea, Malaysians and Polynesians. It is estimated that the first communication with foreigners was in 1783. Captain Henry Wilson, under the command of England, arrived with his ship somewhere between present-day Koror and Peleliu. In fact, rather than arriving, the ship ran aground near Ulong Reef. IBEDUL, the High Chief of Koror, and his assistants helped Captain Wilson and his men to repair the ship for three months. The reason why the name of the island changed from Belau to Palau is because the foreigners pronounced it as Palau.The foreign domination of the island started in 1885 with the Spanish.From this date onwards, traces of Christianity began to be seen in the region.My observations are that the people of Palau are a religious people, but the way they interpret religion is a little different. In 1899, the Spaniards sold the island to the Germans with all their investments and natural resources. And the island remained under German control until 1919 and then was left to Japan with the Versailles Treaty. According to the Palauans, Palau made a lot of economic progress while under Japanese control. And finally, when Japan was defeated by the United States in the Second World War, Palau became an American protectorate. Palauans also claim that their education system got back on track and developed under American control. Until October 1, 1994. Palau gained its independence on this date.
As you can see, the history of Palau, like that of many Pacific and Caribbean countries, is a history of exploitation, and what makes the process of exploitation more bearable is the narcosis of religion given by the White man.
Traditionally, the people of Palau have been matriarchal, with women at the top of society due to the power of fertility. However, since the communication with the outside world has shifted the center of power from fertility to money over time, there have been some changes in traditional life. There is a constitution in the country and an elected government, but there is also a National Chief or Traditional leader who still lives in Koror. And the Chief has the last word on customs and traditions. By the way, a small detail, all marriages on the island are signed by the head of state and it is very possible to see him on the streets with his flowered shirt or at the table next to you while having a drink.
As for security, especially if you want to explore the nightlife, it is useful to keep your eyes open.I have seen harassment and murder news in the weekly newspaper bulletins. But individual arming is prohibited inside the island.In terms of external security, there is no military formation in Palau. I don’t think America, which wants to maintain its presence in the Pacific, will turn down the request for help.Not only in the military sense – Palau citizens have the opportunity to travel, work and study in America without a visa.This is very important especially in higher education because there is no university on the island. Those who want to continue their education after high school have to go abroad and for young people from Palau, America makes the most sense.The biggest problem is that young people who study abroad don’t come back. Those who fill this gap are Americans and Europeans who want to lead a quieter life.
Even though it is a local language that has sunk into oblivion, all Palauans speak English and the currency is the US Dollar. The reason why they do not have their own currency is not because they are a small country, but to protect themselves from economic problems such as inflation, currency depreciation, etc. by using foreign currencies. The main source of income is tourism and then fishing. Many South Asians working in the tourism sector also live on the island as immigrants. American, Korean and Japanese tourists are common in the country. The country is seriously dependent on foreigners. Almost everything in the markets is imported from abroad.
I will talk about it in more detail in another article, but the Republic of Palau is very sensitive about its natural beauties. When you leave the country, a certain amount of tax is collected from you as Green Fee and this tax is spent for the protection of the environment. When you leave the country, your bags are searched in case a natural heritage is taken abroad without permission. By the way, do not think of sculptures, precious metals, etc. Seashells and corals are also considered as the country’s heritage.
As a Turkish diving instructor, I will talk about how I came here, where and how I work in another article.
Thank you 🙂
